All I need to know, I learned on the 405

Things I've Learned about California:

1) Radio is awful. There's a collection of about 50 songs, no matter what station is playing. I thought maybe I was making this up, but then I heard "I Want to Sex You Up" three times in one week on three different stations and...no. Color Me Bad, people. COLOR. ME. BAD.

2) No matter what time of day, month, day of the year, or season, there's traffic. I know it's a bad day when I'm stuck behind four cars and I haven't left the complex yet.

3) Even with all the cars, never has the concept of supply and demand been so well demonstrated by watching the guy at the Shell station down the hill raise the price of regular to $3.50.

4) Restaurant portions are huge. On the upside, hellooooo 2-for-1 dinners. I feel like we're in training for our wrinkly years in Miami with all the other Jews.

5) Speaking of food, this state has an afinity for the Arnold Palmer (iced tea-lemonade), which is fabulous. Also, oddly, they make a great potato salad. Seriously. Everywhere we go, the taters are top notch.

6) Summer sneaks up behind you, clonks you over the head and boom, it's July. Except its April. On the upside, our apartment is half underground, so it's like 20 degrees cooler in here. Come power bill time, that's going to be awesome.

7) I need to wear more sunscreen if I want to leave the house. A lot more. Like, say, a bottle a day.

8) There's no hands-free cell law. Considering how many merges are involved just to leave town, I can't see how this is practical in the least.

9) Flipflops are never not appropriate footwear. I adopted this look 30 seconds after getting off the plane, and know I'm in for a world of hurt and cold toes when we get back to New York. I don't miss socks at ALL.

10) I miss New York like crazy, but like this place a lot more than I thought I would.